1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a hosel configuration that permits changes to be made to the orientation of the hosel with respect to the golf club head without the use of bending fixtures or bending tools.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technical innovation in the configuration, material, construction and performance of golf clubs has resulted in a variety of new products. The advent of metals as a structural material has largely replaced natural wood for wood-type golf club heads, and is but one example of this technical innovation resulting in a major change in the golf industry. Another important example is the use of composite or plastic materials to form components of golf club heads, including the face, crown, and/or sole.
A further example of innovation in the construction and design of golf clubs is the use of configurable hosels that permit golfers to change the orientation of golf club heads with respect to their shafts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,528 to Toulon teaches a unitary hosel having a continuous curved bottom groove extending completely about the hosel to form a reduced bending moment region enabling the making of minor adjustments in both lie and face angle of the club. Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,903 to Beebe et al., which teaches a hosel having a notch formed in the lower surface of the hosel neck. This patent teaches that the desired orientation of the hosel bore can be adjusted by bending the hosel neck at the notch. The drawback of the hosel configurations taught by these two patents is the fact that they require significant bending pressure to change the orientation of the club head with respect to the shaft.
Although the prior art has disclosed many variations of golf club heads, the prior art has failed to provide a club head with a hosel that permits easy modification of the golf club head orientation.